3D Gorilla Glass to arrive this year, brings protection for the uniquely shaped

As curved cell phones and wearables enter the market and companies develop technologies for rounded displays and such, Gorilla Glass, the protector of all things fragile and glass, has had to adjust its manufacturing process to accommodate these changes. Today the company behind it, Corning, announced the manufacturing readiness of its 3D-shaped Gorilla Glass technology.

According to the announcement made by Corning today, the company is aiming to commercialize its 3D Gorilla Glass finished parts for this year. Beyond that, the company has teamed up with G-Tech Optoelectronics Corp., more commonly called GTOC, to set up what it says is a vertically-integrated operation in Taiwan. Corning's Speciality Materials senior VP James R. Steiner spoke on this, saying:

"We can now take Gorilla Glass all the way from flat sheet to a finished 3D-shaped product in Asia, expediting turnaround times and minimizing logistical complexity. That's a win for Corning and our customers." Corning is hailing a couple bragging points with its 3D-shaped forming technology, which it says is more economical than the more common two-mold method otherwise used.

Beyond that, Corning says its forming technology allows for the use of Gorilla Glass that is uniform in thickness, and helps the company's customers develop devices that are lighter and thinner than presently available. It'll be interesting to see what designers come up with that utilize the technology, particularly with Corning saying that demands for "even more-dramatic form factors is increasing."